PREVIEW | QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST 2011 [24.02.2011]Surfers

Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast 2011, ASP World Tour, Snapper Rocks, Kirra, Queensland, Australia, Coolangatta, QLD, world surfing tour

PREVIEW | QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST 2011

ASP WORLD TOUR EVENT: 1 of 11
LOCATION: COOLANGATTA, Queensland/Australia
WAITING PERIOD: 26th Feb - 9th Mar
PRIZE MONEY: US$425,000

GOLD COAST, Queensland/Australia – The world’s best surfers have converged on Australia’s Gold Coast for the opening event of the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, which will take place from February 26 through March 9, 2011. Utilizing the high-performance pointbreak of Snapper Rocks as the primary venue, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast offers the ideal forum for the ASP Top 34 to open up their respective 2011 ASP World Title campaigns.

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TOP CONTENDERS | QUIKSILVER PRO 2011

KELLY SLATER (USA), 39
Ten-time ASP World Champion / Two-time Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Winner

Historically coy about his annual plans, Slater maintains that his agenda for 2011 is still undecided, but is motivated to open the season up in the high-performance righthand pointbreak of Snapper Rocks.
“The waves at Snapper wake me up enough for motivation but I’d love to get another win at the Quiksilver Pro,” Slater said. “Either a great way to go out or to start another campaign! I can’t honestly answer that (my plans for the year) right now. I’ve thought about doing a farewell aloha tour and saying bye to the tour and I’ve thought about retiring after this event for real.”

TAJ BURROW (AUS), 32
Reigning Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Champion

Defending Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast winner, Burrow’s affinity with the event venue is world-renowned and the electric natural-footer will look to repeat last year’s early season magic.
“I want to win contests for sure,” Burrow said. “I want to surf fast and loose and do a lot more airs in my heats. Snapper is amazing, so happy to have taken down the event last year. It’s such a high performance wave. I love it when the sand is packed in there and the bank is groomed for getting piped and doing wild turns!”

MICK FANNING (AUS), 29
Two-time ASP World Champion / Two-time Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Winner / Snapper Rocks Local

Dubbed 'White Lightning', Mick Fanning's approach is all about intense speed, flexibility and razor sharp technique: all traits valuable for impressing the judges at Snapper Rocks. Snapper Rocks is Fanning's local break so he knows this wave as well as anyone. Fanning has stayed out of the media spotlight in the lead-up to the Quiksilver Pro, he enters the event silent and typically deadly.

JOEL PARKINSON (AUS), 29
Two-time Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Winner / Snapper Rocks Local

After missing most of last year's ASP World Tour through injury, Joel Parkinson says he is hungry to kick-start his 2011 campaign at the Quiksilver Pro.
“I guess the benefit now is that I'm hungry – not only to compete, but just to surf."

JORDY SMITH (ZAF), 23
Current ASP World No. 2 / 2010 Quiksilver Pro Runner Up

“The first thing that comes to mind regarding Snapper is that it’s one of the best rip, tear and slash waves around,” Smith says. “This wave offers so many ways that one can surf it. In the past three years, I have seen so many different version’s of surfing, all surfers taking a different approach to Snapper. I feel one has to surf it tight in the pocket and look for the tube. As the wave draws off and runs down the sand bar, it offers a big range of huge maneuvers to be had. There are so many talented surfers, wildcards and new guys from the World Rankings who will be all showcasing themselves in this event."

*Via: ASP World Tour

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SNAPPER ROCKS | ABOUT THE WAVE

Once upon a time, Snapper Rocks was a fairly average Gold Coast point break living in the shadow of it's world famous cousin Kirra. In fact it was better known as a fishing spot (hence the name) than it was as a surf break. However, in April 1995 the Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project (TRESBP) began pumping sand out of the river mouth and dumping it just east of Snapper Rocks. Before long a super sand bank had formed in Rainbow Bay and once the swells started hitting, local surfers realised they had one of the world's longest, and most consistent point breaks on their doorstep.

Nowdays the Snapper Rocks superbank is probably the most crowded wave in Australia, but on any given day you'll see some of the best surfers in the world out there ripping it up. When the swell and wind combine together, it's possible to ride the wave all the way down to Kirra - well over a kilometre away, and for the lucky few who manage such a ride, it's a personal slice of surfing history.

In small conditions Snapper Rocks gently peels off the point, when it gets largers the wave becomes an ultra fast, ultra fun barrel with a tricky takeoff.

On a normal day the ride can be anywhere between 50m and 300m, and on an epic day it's one of the longest breaks in the world.

www.snapperrocks.com

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HISTORY / STATS | QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST

YEARS QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST HAS RUN: 2002-2010 (9 EVENTS)

PAST WINNERS:
    •    2010: Taj Burrow (AUS)
    •    2009: Joel Parkinson (AUS)
    •    2008: Kelly Slater (USA)
    •    2007: Mick Fanning (AUS)
    •    2006: Kelly Slater (USA)
    •    2005: Mick Fanning (AUS)
    •    2004: Michael Lowe (AUS)
    •    2003: Dean Morrison (AUS)
    •    2002: Joel Parkinson (AUS)

*6 different surfers have won the event and three of those are multiple winners with two wins each.
*Australia has won 7 times, USA 2

HIGHEST SCORES POSTED AT THE QUIKSILVER PRO:
    •    19.93 - Joel Parkinson (AUS), Semi Final - 2009
    •    19.83 – Kelly Slater (USA), Rnd 3 - 2007
    •    19.63 – Andy Irons (HAW), Quar’ Final - 2004
    •    19.60 – Mick Fanning (AUS), Quar’ Final - 2003
    •    19.53 – Mick Fanning (AUS), Quar’ Final - 2007
    •    19.50 - Chris Ward (USA), Rnd 2 ...2005

*20 is the maximum anyone can score in a heat: surfers' two best waves are scored out of 10, then totaled.

NUMBER OF COMPETITORS IN 9 YEAR HISTORY OF EVENT: 123

*All stats courtesy of RAS Sports Stats

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UNDERSTANDING THE ASP WORLD TOUR
HOW IT WORKS, THE 2011 EVENTS, TOP 34 SURFERS, JUDGING CRITERIA

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